Commodore Macdonough Painted by Gilbert Stuart. Reproduced by permission of Messrs. Rodney and Augustus R. Macdonough. A List of Pensioners of the War of 1812 Edited by BYRON N. CLARK Librarian, Vermont Antiquarian Society. H With an Appendix containing names of Volunteers for the defence of Plattsburgh from Vermont towns, a description of the battle from con- temporaneous sources, the official statement of losses, and names of United States officers and soldiers at Burlington, Vermont, as shown on army pay and muster rolls recently brought to light. RESEARCH PUBLICATION COMPANy, Burlington and Boston, 1904, THE SHELDON PRESS, PRINTERS BURLINGTON, VT, • • » / pr PREFACE /6S HE Vermont Antiquarian Society has cour- teously permitted the publication of the inter- esting record kept by William G. Shaw of Burlington, Vt., during his activity as a pen- sion agent, so far as the notes relate to soldiers in the War of 1812. This record has particular value as it includes abstracts of the evidence presented by the claimant. There was no Ver- mont law requiring vital records to be kept by town clerks prior to 1840, hence attempts to learn the families of Vermont soldiers in either the Revolution or the War of 1812 frequently are futile. All who have had occasion to seek genealogical details in Vermont will realize the importance of this pension evidence. The Volunteers whose names are printed are from the towns of Burlington, Colchester, Huntington, Milton, Under- bill, Shelburne, Jericho, and Hinesburgh, and in all, number 189. The contemporaneous accounts of the battle were copied from the newspaper files in the Fletcher Free Library at Bur- lington. By the kindness of Mr. Henry L. Sheldon, we are enabled to add to the appendix, the payrolls of many companies from United States regiments, stationed at Burlington, Vt., during the War of 181 2. The acknowledgements of the editor are due to Messrs. Rodney and Augustus R. Macdonough for the reproduction of the picture of Commodore Macdonough. This is from the portrait painted by Gilbert Stuart, now in the Century Club, New York. The picture of the battle of Plattsburgh is from an old print and is used by permission of Col. C. S. Forbes. CONTENTS. Illustrations—Portrait of Commodore Macdonough, frontispiece The Battle of Plattsburgh, facing 45 List of the . A Pensioners of War of 181 2 . 9 Other Records . • , .30 for Volunteers Plattsburgh from Vermont Towns . 31 Accounts of the Battle of Plattsburgh Sentinel^ From The Northern Sept. 13, 18 14 . 47 From the Montreal Herald^ Sept. 17, 18 14 . 51 Extracts from General Orders of Gen. Alex. Macomb, at Plattsburgh, Sept. 14, 18 14 . 53 Commodore Macdonough's Official Reports . .56 Commodore Macdonough's Official Reports of the Ameri- can Losses and British Prisoners . 63 Commodore Macdonough's Record of the Force and Loss of the American and British Fleets . 72 Officers of the United States Army at Burlington, Vt., May . 20, 1814 . -73 Abstracts from Payrolls of United States Officers and Soldiers at Burlington, Vt., 2- 181 15 . 79 NOTES FROM A LIST OF PENSIONERS OF THE WAR OF 1812* 0? Ames, Mehitable, in Capt. Aged 80, South Hero, widow of Walter Ames, private Ver- Moses Bates' Company, Col. William Williams' Regiment, moflths of mont Militia. He was drafted at Colchester, in the 1 serving fourteen days. He volunteered June and October, 8 1 3, in September, in Capt. Bates' Company of Pittsburgh Volunteers, and served there seven days. 1 8 14, marched to Plattsburgh, He was married at Bridgewater, Mass., March 29, 1796, to Mehitable Packard, and died at Salina, Mich., October 23, 1843. Application made July 15, 18565 granted 160 acres of land. Witnesses, Lyman Martin, Benjamin Martin, Justice Henry Robinson. \ Andres, Samuel, Aged 60, Chambly, C. E., private in Capt. James Kinney's Company, Col. William Williams' Regiment, Vermont Volun- for the teers. He volunteered at Burlington, September 7, 18 14, defence of Plattsburgh and was discharged there September 12, * When no State is given the town is in Vermont. lo Notes from a List of Pensioners the discharge being verbal. A muster roll was kept but it was lost destroyed. Application or made January 23, 1858 ; granted 160 acres of land. Witnesses, Russell S. Taft, E. R. Hard, Justice Torrey E. Wales, John C. Pitcher, Aaron Rowley, M. B. Southwick, and Stephen R. Andres. Atherton, Nancy, Aged 71, Watertown, N. Y., widow of Chester Atherton, private in Capt. Josiah Barrows' Company of Cavalry, Col. George Tyler's Regiment, Vermont Volunteers. He volunteered at Wil- liston, September 7, 18 14, for the defence of Plattsburgh and was discharged there September 12. He was married to Nancy Hall at Castleton, July 17, 18 13, by Rev. Elihu Smith, and died at Burlington, February 13, 1842. Application made January 23, 1858. Witnesses, Joseph and Edwina Bostwick, Justice William Weston, Childs Day, Jesse J. Starr, and Paul T. Sweet, of Burlington, James M. Clark and Alonzo M. Rogers, of Wat- ertown, N. Y. Nancy Hall Atherton was married to Timothy Hungerford at Rutland, N. Y., July 3, 1844, by Rev. Mr. Spaulding, and Hungerford died at Watertown, N. Y., November 22, 1857. No other record of either marriage in existence. Bartlett, Eber, Aged 73, Hadley, N. Y., private in Capts. Reed and Allen's Company, Vermont Volunteer Militia. He volunteered at Jeri- cho, in September, 18 14, for th^ defence of Plattsburgh, served Notes from a List of Pensioners i i seven days, was discharged at Burlington, September 13, 18 14, having taken part in the battle of September 11. Application made September 17, 1856; granted 160 acres of land. Wit- nesses, George Kenyon, Jonathan Crannell, Justice Reuben Wills, of Warren Co., N. Y,, Luther Prouty, Sylvanus Blodgett, Justice Erastus Field. Bates, Huldah, Aged 66, New Haven, widow of Levi Bates, private in Capt. James Talcott's Company, Vermont Militia. He volunteered at Williston, September 9, 18 14, for the defence of Plattsburgh, served four days, and was discharged there, September 12, 1 8 14, having taken part in the battle of September 11. He was married to Huldah Graves at Richmond, September 3, 1 8 10, by Abel Cooper, J. P., and died there March 21, 1827. No public or private record of the marriage in existence till now. Raised large family of children. Application made August 21, 1856; granted 160 acres of land. Witnesses, Levi Rockwood and Watson C. Washburn, of New Haven, Justice Jonathan Hough, James Talcott, Elisha Wright, Justice William Weston. Benedict, George W., Aged 60, Burlington, private in Capt. Jacob Howell's Company, Col. Farrington's Regiment, New York Militia. He was drafted at Franklin, N. Y., September 8, 18 14, and discharged at New York City, October 22, 18 14. Application made May 28, 1856; granted 160 acres of land. Witnesses, Miles A. Evarts, George L. Reynolds, Justice Jno. B. Hollenbeck. /' 12 Notes from a List of Pensioners Benham, John, Aged 69, Jericho, teamster in United States service. He volun- teered at Jericho, March 21, 181 3, serving thirteen days. He was engaged in transporting the troops of General Chandler's brigade from Burlington to Canton, N. Y., being paid for such service ^39.00, in September, 1813, by George Wadsworth, a United States paymaster. He was drafted as a private, in October, in 18 1 3, Capt. Oliver Lowrey's Company, Third Regiment of the Vermont Militia, under Col. George Tyler, and was discharged at Burlington, October 17, 18 13. He was a private in Capt. Myron Reed's Company, Col. George Tyler's Regi- ment, Vermont Volunteers, having volunteered at Jericho, about September 7, 1 8 14, for the defence of Plattsburgh. He was discharged at Burlington, September 13, 18 14, having been present at the battle of Plattsburgh, September 11. Application made May 28, 1856 ; granted 160 acres of land. Witnesses, Joel Rood and Luther Prouty, of Jericho, Justice David Fish, Harvey Field, Edy Humphrey. Bliss, Arrabert F., Aged 21, Green Lake, Wis., son of Julius Bliss, private in com- pany commanded by Capt. Myron Reed and Capt. Peter L. Allen, Col. George Tyler's Regiment, Vermont Militia. He vol- unteered at Jericho, September 7, 18 14, for the defence of Platts- burgh, and was discharged at Burlington, September 13. He died at Jericho, September 7, 1845, leaving a widow, Mary Bliss, who was married to Pelatiah Bliss in the summer of 1849. Applica- tion made March 19, 1858. Witnesses, Philo F. and Delia Drury and Justice D. H. Seaver. Notes from a List of Pensioners 13 Brown, Polly, Aged 71, Jericho, widow of Joseph Brown, teamster, who was drafted at Plattsburgh, March 12, 18 13, being pressed into service while absent from home with his team. He was em- ployed to transport military stores from Plattsburgh to Sackett's Harbor, N. Y., being absent twenty-two days, being paid in part at the latter place by Paymaster Wolsey, and at Burling- ton by George Wadsworth. He was married to Polly Cady at children, Jericho, July 10, 1808, by Theall, J. P.; had Rufus, Mary, and David. Application made July 30, 1856. Witnesses, Rufus Brown, Mary Brown, and Justice William Weston. Brownell, Thomas, Aged 68, Colchester. He volunteered at Colchester, Septem- ber 6, 18 14, for the defence of Plattsburgh, serving in the commis- sary department, commanded by John Waford. He was dis- charged at Plattsburgh, September 12. He crossed Lake Champlain on September 7, in a skiff with four others and landed on Crab Island. On the day of the battle of Platts- burgh he was engaged in guarding provisions in a scow on the lake. Application made September 29, 1856.